“I am frustrated” – Daryl Morey clears up speculation about viral quote of him seemingly discrediting Lakers’ 2020 title

Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey garnered attention on social media this week for his comments on the LA Lakers’ championship win in 2020. That year, the NBA suspended the regular season ahead of the playoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NBA bubble was set up in Orlando and housed the players as they checked in to isolate and prepare for the postseason. The Lakers won the title, and many around the league downplayed their achievement due to the situation.

Morey outraged many by suggesting that LA’s win will never feel like a real championship victory.

“Perhaps the lasting legacy of the NBA bubble is that the NBA should be proud of its leadership at both the beginning and end of the pandemic, even though the champion will forever be marked by an asterisk,” Morey said on Tuesday, via The Athletic.

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After receiving backlash, the team executive clarified his statement.

“I'm frustrated,” Morey said. “Of course, I respect that title. I defend it to people all the time. It's the thing I want the most.”

In 2002, Morey became the senior vice president of operations of the Boston Celtics. He has held multiple executive roles around the league since, but has yet to capture his first NBA title.

The LA Lakers faced a difficult path to the 2020 NBA Finals

The LA Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, Darryl Morey’s Houston Rockets and the Denver Nuggets to reach the NBA Finals in 2020. The team took down players like Nikola Jokic, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.

In the NBA Finals, LeBron James and Co. faced and defeated the Jimmy Butler-led Miami Heat in six games. While some discredited the Lakers' run because of the bubble, others argued that it was harder with no fans or family support

Heading into the 2025-26 season, most of the players from that championship are now playing for different teams. However, James continues to hunt for more rings, playing alongside Luka Doncic

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Sameer Khan

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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